Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has denied liking a fan tweet implying Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is trying to «act like a bell.»
Morant has been suspended indefinitely by the Grizzlies after making «tough decisions and bad decisions,» head coach Taylor Jenkins said Sunday. The All-Star was seen brandishing a gun while out at a nightclub in a live broadcast on social media last Saturday, which is the latest incident involving the South Carolina native.
A Lillard fan let out a tweet comparing the two players.
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Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives against the Houston Rockets in the first quarter at the Moda Center on February 26, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
«Notice how Dame is actually from the hood but not going around acting like Ja Morant who is from the suburbs trying to act like the hood. Never change the king @Dame_Lillard,» the user wrote.
An alleged screenshot from the «nojumper» Instagram account showing Lillard’s Twitter likes shows the Blazers guard liking him. However, Lillard tried to nip it in the bud.
«let them lie», he wrote. «F— I seem to like that. I don’t care who is and who isn’t from the ‘trenches’…»
JA MORANT INCIDENT ARRIVED AFTER A PLAYER-ONLY MEETING ABOUT SHOWING ‘BETTER DISCIPLINE’ ON THE ROAD: REPORT
Police are investigating Saturday’s incident at the nightclub to see if Morant broke any laws.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania also reported that Memphis had a players-only meeting with center Steven Adams in charge before Saturday night’s incident.
«There was a players-only meeting where Steven Adams, their veteran center, talked about how the team needs to show better discipline on the road. How they should avoid going out when they’re on the road.» Charania said on Bally Sports’ «The Rally.»
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies brings the ball up court during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at FedExForum on December 31, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
«Those in the room, when Steven Adams spoke, knew exactly who he was addressing this to: it was none other than Ja Morant. Clearly, yet, Ja Morant came out in the early hours of Saturday. That video was posted with a gun and there are questions. Was the gun yours? Did you have a license? Were you traveling with the gun? Where did the gun come from? Was it from a friend? How many other weapons were there? carrying a gun in the area where you were?»
There is no timetable for Morant to return to the team, Jenkins said. He is going to miss at least the next two games.
JA MORANT HAS MADE ‘DIFFICULT AND POOR CHOICES,’ NO TIME TO RETURN, COACH SAYS
Morant issued an apology following the Grizzlies’ decision to suspend him.
«I take full responsibility for my actions last night,» Morant said. «I’m sorry to my family, teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organization for letting them down. I will take time to get help and work to learn better methods of dealing with stress and my general well-being.
March 3, 2023; Denver, Colorado, United States; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) watches the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)
«He’s definitely coming to terms with the mistakes he’s made, but only time will tell. We’ll support him and hold him accountable for making those changes,» Jenkins said, declining to set out the exact steps Morant needed to take to return to the Grizzlies.
«We love him, we want the best for him, we support him. It’s going to be a tough process, but we have a great group to get us through this.»
There was also an incident on January 29 after the Grizzlies played the Indiana Pacers, where the latter claims that a car, which Morant was in, was pointing red lasers at the team bus. They claimed the laser came from a firearm. An on-court incident during the game involving Morant’s father, Tee, and his friend, Davonte Pack, resulted in Pack being banned from home games for a year as well.
Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers celebrates with teammates after a 134-124 victory over the Utah Jazz at the Moda Center on January 25, 2023 in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)
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Morant and Pack are also involved in a civil lawsuit brought after an incident last summer in which a 17-year-old boy alleged he was assaulted at Morant’s home. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office said in January that it was «aware of the incident and, after a careful review of the facts, decided that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case.»